Walker sets American record in men’s pole vault

Brad Walker cleared an American record of 19 feet, 9 3/4 inches on his first attempt Sunday in the men’s pole vault at Hayward Field, earning himself the inaugural Maria Mutola Outstanding Athlete Award in the Prefontaine Classic.

The bar quivered for several moments after the winning attempt, but Walker was able to soak in the adulation from the record crowd of over 14,000 when it stayed up. He took three shots at 20-2 1/2 inches, but Sergey Bubka’s world record of 20-1 3/4 remained safe.

Bubka held the previous field mark of 19-6 1/4, and Jeff Hartwig held the previous American record of 19-9 1/4.